This Is How the Toyota GR Hilux Is Going to Take on the Ford Ranger Raptor

The Ranger Raptor will be in deep trouble if Toyota actually goes ahead with this

Remember when Toyota said it would make high-performance trims of every model it builds? Looks like Toyota was serious about it. Interestingly, the Japanese automaker announced this in a reply to a twitter user who suggested a Hilux GRMN.

Fast forward 13 months and Toyota has announced a GR Hilux that will go up against the Ranger Raptor. The truck will feature a new diesel V-6 mill that will churn out over 250 horses. How exciting is that?

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What Is The Toyota Hilux?

The Toyota Hilux is a compact pickup truck sold by the Japanese automaker in many markets worldwide.

The moniker was introduced back in 1968 and continues to run successfully to date. The truck is presently in its eight-generation and even went through a facelift back in 2017. The next-gen Hilux is expected to arrive in 2023.

Is The Toyota Hilux Sold In The U.S.A.?

No. The Hilux is not sold in the States. The Hilux was sold here from 1968 to 1976, but post that, Toyota pulled out the badge and replaced it with the rather generic “Truck” badge.

Almost two decades later, Toyota launched the Tacoma and it lives even today. While both the Hilux and Tacoma are largely similar, the biggest difference is that the Hilux is available in the single-cab configuration whereas the Tacoma isn’t. The Hilux performs its duty as a work truck, so you can see higher torque figures, but the Tacoma is more off-road-oriented, hence it favors the horsepower.

Motor1 noted that the next-gen Hilux, due in 2023, might end up merging with the Tacoma and the company will sell it as a unified name globally. However, this is just a scoop and we’d ask you to take it with a pinch of salt.

How Different Will The GR Hilux Be From The Regular Hilux?

Toyota used to have a V-6 engine in its lineup in the past, but it was dropped due to lack of demand. On the other hand, the company announced that a GR version will require a big diesel engine.

With rumors flying about the 2021 Land Cruiser 300 Series making its debut with a big V-6 under the hood, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that the GR Hilux might benefit from the same.

Currently, the V-8 diesel engine in the Land Cruiser 200 Series makes 268 horses and 479 pound-feet of torque. The outlet believes that the new V-6 will either exceed or will at least match these figures.

This will be a stark improvement over the Hilux’s current 2.8-liter diesel that makes 174 horses and 332 pound-feet of torque. Earlier in February 2020, Toyota successfully trademarked the ‘GR Hilux’ moniker in Australia. So, this is the next big news with respect to the truck and if you connect all the dots, it could even be true.

On the other hand, Toyota has spent a lot to build this new engine for the Land Cruiser 300, but to recover the production costs, it makes sense for the engine to the borrowed by the other products. But, to maintain exclusivity, Toyota could detune it in the Hilux.

How Does the Toyota GR Hilux Compare to the Ranger Raptor?

There’s even a steel front bumper, LED lighting,

Aerodynamic air curtains, tow hooks, and a bash plate up front

The Japanese truck will go up against the Ford Ranger Raptor. The Ranger comes with one engine in three different iterations. In the base trim, the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBlue makes 128 horses and 250 pound-feet of torque. The other one churns out 168 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, and the final one comes with an added turbo and produces 210 ponies and 369 pound-feet of torque.

All trims come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, whereas the top two iterations can be had with a 10-speed automatic gearbox as well. The Ranger Raptor comes with the highest state of tune of the Ranger lineup.

Will The GR Hilux Have Elements Of The TRD Off-Road Package As Well?

Even the Raptor features 210 horses and 369 pound-feet of torque.

According to Carsguide, the new V-6 engine will produce at least 268 horses and 479 pound-feet of torque.

Will Toyota launch it with such a big power difference? We will be the happiest if it does, though. But, let’s not undermine the off-roading aspect of the Ranger Raptor here. The Raptor comes with race-bred suspension, a Terrain Management System with six different modes including the Baja Mode, as well as 33-inch tires. The fact that Toyota also announced that its TRD and GR brands can co-exist makes us believe that the Hilux might get the best of both worlds.

Final Thoughts

According to Motor1, the next-gen Hilux will arrive in 2023, but the GR badge will join the present-gen Hilux itself.

Do you think the GR Hilux will be a limited edition model or a trim on the Hilux that will sell alongside the others? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Sidd joined the Topspeed.com team in 2017 as an intern and in less than a year he earned a full-time position as an associate editor and junior automotive expert. He is currently our pickup truck expert and focuses his attention on heavy-duty and off-road vehicles.
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